As it was

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THE OLD ILLINOIS
STATE CAPITOL
ABOUT 1858

The Old State Capitol which stood in the center of the
Springfield square bounded by Adams, Fifth, Washington,
and Sixth streets was practically a second home to Abra¬
ham Lincoln. It was a part of many important incidents
in his life and had other significant historical associations
as well. It was considered a perfect example of Greek
Revival architecture and was called “the most historic
building west of the Allegheny Mountains." That original
building is now in the process of being rebuilt, and when
the reconstruction is complete the Old Capitol will become
a historic shrine of national importance.

Lincoln was a leader of a group of Sanagmon County
legislators known as the “Long Nine" (their total height
was fifty-four feet) who influenced the General Assembly
to pass a bill on February 28, 1837 to move the state
capitol from Vandalia to Springfield. On July 4 of that
year the cornerstone of the new building 'was laid, but
construction was not completed until 1853 — the final
cost was $260,000. In the meantime some of the offices
were in use and Lincoln was serving his fourth and last
term as a State Representative when the House met in its
new home for the first time on December 7, 1840.

This building was the state's fifth capitol (the fourth
owned by the state) and was designed by Springfield
architect John F. Rague. The two-story Greek Revival
structure measured 123 feet, 4 inches west to east and
89 feet, 1 inch north to south. From the ground level
to the peak of the roof it was 59 feet high, the cupola

ILLIHOIS state

^ _ _ _ - _ ^ _ J^ - -■

measured another 54 feet, 3 inches, and it was topped
by a 36-foot flagpole. There were twin four-pillared porti¬
coes at the north and south entrances. Except for the
porticoes which were 44 feet, 6 inches long by 12 feet
wide, the building was surrounded by a stone-lined moat,
4 feet deep and 7 feet, 8 inches v/ide. The stone walls,
with their backing of brick and plaster, were 2 feet, 9 inches
thick. The dolomite (a form of limestone) for the walls
and pillars was quarried six miles south of the square at
a site that is now covered by Lake Springfield.

As the seat of the state government this Capitol contained
offices for the Governor, Secretary of State, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, State Auditor, and State Treasurer,
and meeting halls for the two houses of the General As¬
sembly, a State Supreme Court chamber, a Law Library,
and a State Library. The largest and most impressive room
in the building was the Hall of Representatives which oc¬
cupied the west third of the second floor. The Governor’s
office was located at the southeast corner on the second
floor.

From the day the new Capitol was opened until he
left Springfield to assume the Presidency, Lincoln was an
almost daily visitor. During that period he had three law
partners and from time to time moved his law office but
never was it as far as half a block from the statehouse
I square. He borrowed books from the State Library, studied
i in the Law Library, and tried more than two hundred cases
before the Supreme Court. He served in the legislature

and later addressed a number of political and civic meet¬
ings there. The most famous of these speeches was
delivered on June 16, 1858, when he said: " ‘A house
divided against itself cannot stand.' I believe this govern¬
ment cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.

I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not
expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease
to be divided.”

Lincoln did not campaign actively for the Presidency
in 1860, but during the period between his nomination
in May and the election in November he spent much of
his time in the Governor's office, and after the election
that office became his headquarters. There, during those
turbulent days just before the Civil War, he received well
wishers, office seekers, political leaders, and reporters.

The last time Lincoln was in the Capitol was in May,
1865, when his body was returned to Springfield for burial.
A catafalque was erected at the speaker's rostrum in the
Hall of Representatives and the martyred President's
mourning friends and neighbors filed by in a constant
stream from 9 p.m. on May 3 until time for the funeral
the next morning.

Although the Old State Capitol was almost like a second
home to Lincoln, it also played an important role in the
lives of other famous Illinoisans. Stephen A. Douglas,
Lincoln's long-time rival was elected to the United States
Senate three times by the state legislature meeting there.
(Senators were then elected by the legislatures rather than
by popular vote.) The first time was when he was only
thirty-four years old, and the third time was in 1859 when
Lincoln was his opponent. Like Lincoln, Douglas, addressed
numerous meetings and political rallies in the Capitol.
After the first shots of the Civil War had been fired Lincoln
and Douglas conferred at the White House and the Presi¬
dent asked his former rival to return to Illinois and rally
support for the Union cause. The speech that Douglas
delivered before a joint session of the Illinois legislature

THE CAPITOL DRAPED

FOR LINCOLN’S FUNERAL, 1865

on April 25, 1861, was perhaps his greatest and brought
tremendous applause.

Another famous Illinoisan whose career was linked with
the Old Capitol was General Ulysses S. Grant. His first
Civil War assignment was a clerk in the Illinois adjutant
general's office, but it was not long before his abilities
were recognized and he was made a colonel by Governor
Richard Yates.

Still other Civil War generals served in the legislature
while it was meeting in the Old Capitol; among them were
John A. Logan, Richard J. Oglesby, and John A. McClernand.

A tragic non-military association of the Old Capitol was
that on April 16, 1846, it was the starting point of the
trek to California of the ill-fated Donner Party.

By the end of the Civil War Illinois had grown so much
that the need for a larger capitol was apparent. Plans for
a new building — the present State Capitol — were set
in motion by the General Assembly on February 24, 1867,
when it passed an enabling act. The cornerstone of the
new b.uilding was laid on October 5, 1868, and a year
later (October 23, 1869) the old building was sold to
Sangamon County for use as a courthouse at a price
of $200,000.

Thus when the state offices were moved out in January,
1876, the Old Capitol became the Sangamon County Court¬
house. After about twenty years, however, the county had
outgrown its quarters and the supervisors feared the roof
and cupola were fire hazards. They accepted the suggestion
of Springfield architect Samuel J. Hanes that a third story
be added by lifting the entire building up and inserting a
new first floor and that the cupola and roof be replaced
with metal and tile. Before the building was raised the
partition walls and the floors were removed leaving only
the outer walls and two bearing walls running north to
south tlyough the building at the ends of the porticoes.
Steel I-beams were inserted under the structure; it was
lifted eleven feet, and the new first story of Indiana blue
Bedford limestone was inserted. The lifting was accomp¬
lished in twelve days by the use of screw jacks at the
rate of a quarter of a turn at each signal from the foreman.
When the interior was rebulit the room arrangement was
different from what it had been for the Capitol. Ground
level entrances were added at the east and west, the moat
was filled, and an all-metal, higher cupola was built. The
cost of raising the building was $27,500 and the entire
cost of the remodeling was about $175,000.

This three-story building served as the Sangamon County
Courthouse from 1901 until the early 1960's when the
county board of supervisors decided to build a new com¬
bination courthouse and jail. The Illinois General Assembly
voted an appropriation of $975,000 to purchase the Old
Capitol property for the purpose of converting it into a
Lincoln shrine. The cost of the conversion will be borne
by the State of Illinois with the assistance of a fund of
$300,000 raised by public subscription by the Abraham
Lincoln Association.

The county continued to occupy the building until the
autumn of 1965 when its new courthouse was completed.
On February 7, 1966, the contractors began taking the Old
Capitol apart stone by stone. All of the original exterior
stone and the pillars were removed, catalogued and stored
at the State Fairgrounds at the north edge of Springfield
so that they could, be replaced in their proper positions.

CHRONOLOGY OF
LINCOLN AND

OLD STATE CAPITOL

March 1, 1843 Lincoln attends Whig meeting, Hall of Rep¬
resentatives, State Capitol.

March 20, 1843 Sangamon County Whigs meet in Statehouse
to select candidate for Congress. Lincoln,
a candidate, withdraws in favor of Edward
D. Baker.

June 9, 10, 1843 Lincoln writes resolution adopted by Whig
meeting in Statehouse. He also speaks.

December State Whig convention at Statehouse. Lincoln

11, 12, 1843 chosen one of nine Presidential electors for
Illinois and speaks on second day.

May 22, 1844 Lincoln speaks on annexation of Texas in
Statehouse.

July 6, 1852 Lincoln delivers eulogy on Henry Clay in
Hall of Representatives, Statehouse.

October 4, 1854 Lincoln speaks in Hall of Representatives,
Statehouse, in answer to Douglas's talk the
previous day to which he had listened.

February 8, 1855 Lincoln is present when the Illinois legisla¬
ture in Statehouse votes on U. S. Senator.
A candidate, he withdraws in favor of Lyman
Trumbull who is elected.

June 26, 1857 Lincoln delivers political speech in Hall of
RepreseTitatives, Statehouse.

June 16, 1858 At Republican State Convention in State-
house Lincoln is nominated for U. S. Senator
and delivers “House Divided” speech.

July 17, 1858 Lincoln speaks in Statehouse in answer to
Douglas.

October 15, 1859 Lincoln makes political speech in State-
house rotunda.

January 9, 1861 Lincoln attends legislature which re-elects
Lyman Trumbull U. S. Senator. Lincoln with
others is seated within bar.

Lincoln’s body reaches Springfield at 9:00
p.m. and lies in state through the night in
Hall of Representatives until time for funeral,
May 4, 1865.

May 3, 1865

THE HALL OF REPRESENTATIVES, PROBABLY 1898

THE CAPITOL BEING RAISED TO THREE STORIES, 1898

THE SANGAMON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 1901-1965

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA

STONE STORAGE YARD AT STATE FAIRGROUNDS

When the reconstruction is completed, in 1968, the Old
Capitol will have the two-story exterior and interior appear¬
ance that was familiar to Lincoln. Beneath it, however.
Ferry and Henderson, Springfield architects who designed
the rebuilding project, have provided space for the Illinois
State Historical Library and under the surrounding grounds
will be a parking area to accommodate visitors.

This leaflet was prepared by the Illinois State Historical
Library for the Illinois Department of Conservation.
OTTO KERNER, Governor

Printed by authority of the State of Illinois